Soviet pilot Anisimov Alexander Frolovich: biography, achievements, family and interesting facts

They were Stalin's falcons. Soviet newspapers on the front pages published their portraits. Radio journalists on the air reported unprecedented, incredible achievements that other countries could not boast of. Their names, along with the names of senior leaders of the state, were known to both children and adults. Swift, impudent, fearless. People for whom it seemed that there were no obstacles - the first Soviet pilots stormed new speed and height records. Among them was the pilot Anisimov, a native of a small Russian village, who took his place among the best aces of the young Soviet aviation.

From the outskirts of Novgorod

The village of the Arrivals in the Novgorod region and today does not stand out as anything remarkable. And at the end of the last century it was a very small village, which can be found in the vastness of Russia. Here, in 1897, the future Soviet test pilot Anisimov was born . Alexander Frolovich did not even know the month of his birth. Modern biographical sources can not be uniquely determined, he was born in July or in November. Therefore, they write - was born on November 28 (according to other data on July 28). Information about the pilot's parents was not preserved - apparently he did not like to remember his childhood.

It seems that from a young age the guy was interested in technology. By the age of 15 he graduated from a four-year school in Novgorod. The driver and the mechanic were the first working professions. In native wounds with such specialty could become an indispensable person. And he stayed in Novgorod - until 1914 he worked as a chauffeur.

An interesting fact: after becoming a well-known pilot, Anisimov led a series of five red fighters that flew during parades over Red Square several years in a row.

The First World War

In 1914, exactly at one of the possible dates of the birth of Alexander Frolovich (July 28), the First World War broke out. Three days later, the Russian Empire entered into a brutal European fight - on July 31, mobilization was announced and a Novgorod driver replaced a driver's jacket for a soldier's uniform. Aviation units of the Russian army were the most numerous among the allies, but the qualified specialists in them were sorely lacking. Soldiers who had technical specialties were sent for training and became aviation mechanics.

Anisimov got to study at the ShMAS (the school of junior aviation specialists), which was formed on the basis of the Polytechnic Institute in St. Petersburg. Courses of mechanics in an accelerated manner trained mechanics to service aircraft at the front. After graduation, in February 1915, a new motorist-the non-commissioned officer Anisimov-arrived at the 4th fighter squadron.

Test pilot - in tsarist Russia, even a peasant boy could not even dream of such a dream. But the first step on the road to heaven was made.

Warlet

The Revolution and the Civil War that followed it did not allow us to return to peaceful labor. Alexander Frolovich was in the ranks of revolutionary detachments, who overthrew the Provisional Government and fought with the Junkers of the Vladimir School, who organized counterrevolutionary speeches. Having joined the ranks of the Red Army, he continues to serve in aviation. The senior mechanic serves aircraft that make combat flights over the positions of white-whites and white-capped, conduct reconnaissance in the rear of Yudenich's army. But there was already a goal to get up in the sky and Anisimov is seeking a direction for studying at the Yegoryevskaya theoretical military air school. The old monastery, in which the cadets were placed, small cells for two people and intensive classes - the school gave only theoretical knowledge. He still had to learn to fly.

Having mastered the theoretical part of the training (1922), the cadet Anisimov undergoes flight training in the Kachinsk and Moscow aviation schools (1923). A year later, the air school in Serpukhov - here he is mastering the skills of air shooting and bombing. After training in the combat units of the Air Force of the Red Army, the military pilot Anisimov, already well prepared for performing any tasks, comes to the service. A difficult road to heaven was passed.

Anisimov believed that the pilot is an artist in the sky. Therefore, he must have his own air handwriting. Young pilots sometimes said that he was afraid of competition and therefore did not disclose the secrets of his skill.

Conquest of the sky

A rumor flew through the airborne aviation units: a fighter appeared in Kiev, which possessed an unblemished aerobatics technique. Alexander Frolovich really had a great summer talent. His favorite method was piloting at low altitude - accurate calculation, verified technique, courage and excellent sense of the machine. In a short time the young pilot was able to achieve great success and was appointed to command a link in 3 Kiev Squadron. The invitation to become a test pilot in the Institute of Air Force (1928) was a well-deserved recognition of his skill. Although he was a difficult man - he liked to argue, he could sharply object. Many of them were stumped by his favorite word "guy". Nobody knew what this meant. Under various circumstances - from surprise to contempt.

During this period the pilot Anisimov becomes a test of new models of fighters. Pavel Sukhoi, under the leadership of Sergei Tupolev, created the I-4 - the first all-metal lightweight fighter. I-5, designed by N. Polikarpov and D. Grigorovich, later became the main model of the aircraft in fighter aviation. Anisimov gave the ticket to the sky. Alexander Frolovich at the I-4 participated in another grandiose project of Soviet aircraft designers - "Link", which assumed an extension of the range of light fighters - delivering them for long distances suspended under the wings of a large aircraft. In 1931, Anisimov was appointed to command a detachment of testers at the Air Force Research Institute.

In the ranks of the best

Many outstanding Soviet pilots were Anisimov's colleagues in test work at the Air Force Research Institute. MM Gromov, AB Yumashev, IF Kozlov, AI Zalevsky. Warm friendly relations connected him with a talented pilot and test - Valery Chkalov, whom he had met at the Egoryevskaya Aviation School. They often flew in pairs - Chkalov and Anisimov. Alexander Frolovich with great respect for Valery, who was younger than him for 7 years. The best friends on earth - in the sky they became irreconcilable rivals. Their improvised aerial battles, which were watched all the airfield with a sinking heart, often ended in official penalties. But testing new cars, the pilots felt it their duty to check their flying qualities in any, most difficult conditions.

Another classmate at the school is PI Grokhovsky. He became a designer, whose inventions had to be experienced by Alexander Frolovich. Grokhovsky seriously engaged in parachute-assault systems. It was he who came up with a way of landing the cargo with the help of a breakdown. The test pilot who piloted the aircraft during the experiment was AF Anisimov.

Interesting

For violation of the flight regulations and air hooliganism Anisimov and Chkalov were frequent "guests" at the airfield guardhouse. Often, directly from the camera, they were brought to the airfield in order to show foreign delegations the combat capabilities of the latest Soviet fighters. And then both pilots created in the sky all those risky elements, because of which they were sent to the guardhouse.

Interrupted flight

The death of Alexander Anisimov came as a result of an aviation accident. October 11, 1933 at the airport arrived kinogruppa in order to shoot the flight Anisimov on the I-5 fighter. The demonstration flight took place at a low altitude and was saturated with aerobatics elements. Before landing, the pilot several times dived directly to the movie camera, taking the plane out of the pike above the ground itself. Then he did immelman and so it was repeated several times. At the next performance of the figure, the plane seemed to be frozen at the top point of the Immelman with the wheels turned upside down. Losing speed, he began to sink down. And fell to the ground - right on the cabin, with wheels looking at the sky. The conclusion of the aviation commission - an accident occurred due to a broken steering pedal in the flight turns. On this day, a talented test and a virtuoso aerobatics pilot Anisimov died. The biography of his aviation achievements was cut off as suddenly as the broken pedal fixation, which cost the pilot of life.

Instead of an afterword

Strangely enough, but there is another version of the death of an outstanding aviator. Polar pilot M. Kaminsky recalled that before landing, Anisimov made a "dead loop" several times, while at the bottom of his trajectory the plane almost touched the ground. At that time , the reconnaissance aircraft P-5 landed at the airfield. His trajectory crossed the direction of the I-5 movement, which was piloted by Anisimov. To avoid a collision, Alexander Frolovich tried to lead the fighter away, but the height was too small. The plane hit the ground with the wing - the pilot died.

The witness of this tragedy was V.P. Chkalov. At the funeral of his friend he stood in the guard of honor and was completely depressed. There were tears in his eyes.